10 killed as people clash with cops inside and outside parliament

FE Team | Published: June 25, 2024 21:44:35

NAIROBI, June 25 (BBC): Several people are feared dead from the clashes between police and protesters. A paramedic has told the Reuters news agency that at least 10 protesters have been killed so far.
The death toll is likely to rise as police continue to battle the protesters inside and outside parliament. Ambulances can be seen carrying the injured from the streets.
Part of the Kenyan parliament is on fire after protesters opposed to new tax laws breach the complex where the building sits.
More footage of the protest is starting to emerge as the unrest intensifies. In a video posted on X, external, several men are seen pulling apart a stand that displays flags in the Parliament building, smashing the poles against the floor.
Another man attempts to kick in the doors to the senate. Glass covers the ground and shouting and the sound of whistles can be heard in the background.
BBC reporters have seen bodies on the street, and witness police throwing tear gas at protesters. Some MPs are reportedly sheltering in the parliament's basement after they passed a finance bill that seeks to introduce new taxes.
Protests are also taking place in other parts of Kenya, as anger surges over the new measures. Unverified video posted to social media, external appears to show protesters carrying a ceremonial mace, which may have been taken from parliament, in the streets.
In the video, several people can be seen following a man brandishing the mace. Some are waving Kenyan flags. It is captioned "[the] power of the parliament now belongs to the people".
The mace symbolises the legislature's authority, according to the parliamentary website.